


Legacy

by 809ekus



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Explicit Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/809ekus/pseuds/809ekus
Summary: He was once called a “legend” by the masses; tales of his feats were told throughout the lands. But several years after his sudden disappearance, his legacy has all but faded. What should a former legend do with his life after a certain encounter on Mt. Silver?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	1. Return, Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing fanfiction, so forgive me if my writing or storytelling is not up to your standards. However, I’ve been lurking in the fandom for several years, and I’ve been inspired to write my own Red-centric fanfiction after reading works such as “Ascension” by The Blackstaff and NightMarE, “The Game of Champions” by L Lamora, “The Summit” by K. Frosch, and “A True Champion” by Shadowyman (all of which are amazing, but unfortunately, besides “Ascension,” discontinued works). While I love those aforementioned stories, unfortunately, if you’re looking for those dark, gritty takes on Pokémon, this story probably isn’t for you.
> 
> Regarding the story, Red will have his team from Gold/Silver. I’ve always liked the idea of Red having a psychic type on his team, rather than two water types. Also, Pokémon in this story will not be limited to just four moves, which I believe happen to be an unfortunate limit set by the simplicity of the first Pokémon games.
> 
> So with that, please read and review, it would prove beneficial to the growth of my writing skills.
> 
> Oh, and my final remark... please don’t screw up the Sinnoh remakes, Gamefreak.

A fifteen-year old boy, who wore his black and gold cap backwards like a Youngster, shivered slightly as he shuffled through the deep mountain snow. He pulled his jacket tighter around himself and kept his eyes fixed ahead.

In the distance, a slightly older teenage boy, who was clad in faded red clothing, was unfazed by the blistering cold. He stood deathly still on an elevated mound that overlooked the entirety of the world below. 

_So he was here all along,_ the younger boy thought to himself.

“You know, everyone has forgotten you, but I haven’t, Red,” the younger boy called out.

The stoic figure, Red, continued to stand silently on his mound, staring into the vast distance beyond. 

“I've been looking for you in the past few months. When I was younger, all of your battles, your feats, your courage… I became a trainer because of you! When you went missing, it shocked me more than anything, and it drove me to surpass you. So, I’m finally here. I’m ready to challenge you.”

Red didn’t reply or move. Ethan decided to cut to the chase.

“I’m Ethan Hibiki from New Bark Town, and I’m here to challenge you to a six-on-six singles battle.”

Red finally turned around, and soullessly stared down at his opponent with hollow eyes. Ethan swallowed in fear. 

Without making a sound, Red enlarged a pokéball and tossed it into the air.

...

Both trainers were down to their last pokémon. On Ethan’s side, a panting typhlosion shivered intensely as it struggled to keep standing. One of its eyes were closed due to the copious amounts of blood streaming down one side of its face, patches of its skin were exposed due to singed fur, and its flank was littered with gashes. 

Near where Red stood, a large charizard landed heavily on the ground. Its normally blazing tail flame had died down significantly, a visible sign that it was deathly exhausted. Parts of its wings were torn, and a large cut on its belly colored its cream underside bloody red.

Both trainers knew that the next move would determine the victor.

“End it. Thunder Punch.” Ethan commanded. The typhlosion surged forward, with one of its paws crackling with electricity.

Red immediately snapped his fingers twice in rapid succession. It was a command that Ethan didn’t recognize.

Just as the typhlosion closed in, the charizard slammed his leg into the ground. A terrifying tremor shook the mountain, unleashing visible seismic waves towards its opponent. Earthquake. 

Ethan tried to make out Red's expression, but the shadow from Red's cap obscured his vision.

Unbeknownst to Ethan, underneath the brim of his cap, Red was smiling for the first time in years.

The typhlosion’s Thunder Punch struck the charizard’s torso, just before the Earthquake sent it flying back.

...

A young man wearing a faded red cap gazed up at the geographical behemoth that was Mt. Silver. Dark, gray clouds blocked the view of Mt. Silver’s majestic summit, on which he had stood just a week before. 

Red had lost the battle. Technically, it was a tie, but Red considered the battle as a total personal loss. 

He was considered to be the strongest trainer in the history of Kanto. He was the “Pallet Prodigy.” He had the home field advantage. His pokémon were all battle-hardened and trained. He had years worth of more battling experience. 

Of course he had entered the battle expecting an easy victory. 

But in the end, he was pushed into the smallest corner he had ever been in, and despite his greatest efforts, he could only get away with a tie. Had the battle been in an official League stadium, Red believed that he would have lost completely. Ethan’s parting words echoed in his mind.

_“Thanks for the battle. I couldn’t beat you this time, but next time, I’ll win for sure.”_

Red’s lips curled into a slight smile. Challenge accepted. He wasn’t going to back down either.

After the battle had finished, Red sat down in the snow for what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t even process Ethan’s words until after he had healed his pokémon and sat down on his makeshift cot inside the cave he called home. During the days following the battle, he and his pokémon had stayed inside their cave, the former spending most of his time pondering deeply.

Red had finally realized how little he knew of the world. 

He had been arrogant enough to believe that he had accomplished all that the world has to offer. He had been arrogant enough to believe there wasn’t anything else for him to do except to train endlessly in the harshest environment possible. 

Now that he thought about it, how else would he, when he was barely even twelve years old, act when he had bested his rival and conquered the Indigo League, the pinnacle of strength that all pokémon trainers on the continent aspired to reach? How else should the same boy act when he had brought the mightiest crime boss in the region to his knees? Or after when he had defeated and captured the Kantonian pokémon of legends and myths and ultimately completing Professor Oak’s Pokédex? 

But of course, the universe always seemed to have its way of humbling arrogant humans.

 _Ethan Hibiki._ It would be a name Red would never forget _._

Red tugged the bill of his cap down over his eyes and laughed silently, cursing himself. He needed to catch up with the world that had moved on without him. Apparently there were now types he had never even heard of during his journey through Kanto. Like fairies. Fucking _fairies_. 

Upon thinking about new pokémon, Red fished out his recently digested (Red thanked a wild ursaring for that) Pokédex that needed a few “minor” repairs from his pocket. Red sniffed the bulky, red box out of unconscious curiosity and scrunched up his nose immediately. _And_ a proper cleaning.

Red quickly stored his Pokédex away in a closed compartment in his backpack.

Letting out a sigh, Red turned away from the mountain that has been his home for the past four years. What should he do now? 

He had to go back to Pallet Town. That was for certain. But his mother... 

Red cringed. His mother. The one who loved and raised him for eleven straight years. The one who almost burst into tears as she bid him farewell when he left for his journey through Kanto. The one whom he had decided not to call or visit for the past three years while training on top of Mt. Silver. The one whom he had... abandoned.

Red wanted to visit Professor Oak first, to delay the pain that was inevitable by visiting his mother. But she didn’t deserve that. A mother should be the first to know if her son was safe. He couldn’t let his cowardice rob his mother of something she deserved. Not again. 

Part of him didn’t want to return to the place where people only cared about what he did for them and judged him harshly for being too silent or too uncharming. But he knew that as long his pokémon were with him, he could take on anything, even the world itself.

With that, Red steeled his resolve to return to his hometown, and ultimately, back to society.

He looked down at the six pokéballs on his belt. Now, all he had to do was tell his team of his decision to go back home. With several lazy tosses, his whole team materialized in front of him. 

All six beasts let out their battle cries as they were unleashed, but they stopped immediately when they saw their trainer standing stoically in front of them, with the towering Mt. Silver behind him. Red let his eyes sweep over his beloved team lovingly. 

Pikachu. Espeon. Snorlax. Venusaur. Charizard. Blastoise.

They were his loyal companions, his family, with whom he had survived in the unforgiving conditions of Mt. Silver's summit. 

Pikachu immediately leapt onto Red's shoulder and chittered angrily about having been kept inside his pokeball for more than a day. Red could only look at the mouse apologetically, before reaching under Pikachu's chin and giving it a good scratch. Pikachu melted under Red's touch and squeaked in delight.

Red promptly redirected his gaze onto Espeon. Immediately recognizing her cue, Espeon’s eyes glowed icy blue as she established a psychic link between Red and her teammates. She, as well as the others, already knew what Red was about to say, but they all wanted to hear him say the words personally.

_Everyone, let’s go home._

Never before was a more boisterous celebration witnessed.

...

Red and Charizard enjoyed the gusts of wind that rushed past their faces as they speeded towards Pallet Town over Route 26. Compared to the blizzards of Mt. Silver, the winds here were merely a joke. 

A few contentious fearow had foolishly tried to attack the duo, only to be frightened off with a puff of Charizard’s flames. Red laughed silently. Roasted fearow would have made for interesting meals up on Mt. Silver.

When they arrived above the quaint, quiet Pallet Town sometime in the early afternoon, Red instructed Charizard to land softly in order to not create a commotion. Returning Charizard to his pokéball, Red looked around his hometown, checking out what had changed over the years. Apparently, not much had changed. A few more houses were built, yes, and Professor Oak’s ranch had probably been extended by an acre or two. But other than that, Pallet Town was still the same town he recognized. His eyes settled upon a familiar red roof, and he walked slowly towards its direction.

A few minutes later, Red stood in front of his home of eleven years. He noted that his mother’s garden was flourishing with a variety of berry bushes and flowers, a haven for Venusaur to sleep in, no doubt. Now that he thought about it, his mother probably needed something during the past four years to take her mind off her missing son. Red felt like kicking himself mentally, but figured that now was not the time to be self-reprimanding. Red opened the ever so familiar gate that led him through the garden and to the polished wooden door of his home.

Red was terrified. Even more so than when he dueled Giovanni in the Silph Co. Tower or when he faced Mewtwo in the Cerulean Cave. Somehow he mustered the courage to finally knock once, twice, and then three times before shirking his hand back into his pants’ pocket. 

“Coming!” a sweet, tired voice called out. A voice that he had missed terribly.

Footsteps came closer and closer to the door. Red decided to take off his cap and hang it at his side. When the door swung open, Red breathed in sharply. 

His mother stood at the doorway, with her hair tied loosely to one side and a simple white apron wrapped around her thin frame.

“How can I help you?” Red’s mother asked with an annoyed, impersonal tone. 

Red tensed up and immediately became self-conscious about his appearance. Did she not recognize him? Had he changed that much? He was taller and leaner... His hair was cut thanks to Venusaur’s Razor Leaf... Did he have noticeable facial hair? He was seventeen… No, that couldn’t be it… His clothes were small for him now, as well as being faded and torn, but they still somewhat recognizable... Wait… Did he look like a cosplaying beggar? 

But a mother knows her son the best. Red’s mother’s eyes widened slowly as she took a few seconds to study the young, windblown teenager in front of her. When her eyes settled upon his, Red realized what “the eyes are the windows to the soul” meant.

There was no need for words.

Red was tackled with a ursaring hug, one that could crush his ribs. His mother let out a choking sob, and she cried heavily into his shoulder. Red could feel tears welling up in the corners of his eyes as he returned the hug.

When his mother finally let go, Red averted his eyes from her gaze and hung his head in shame. His mother gently lifted his chin up, gazed warmly at him with a loving smile.

“I’m not mad at you, Red,” his mother finally spoke. “There’s no need to keep beating yourself about your mistakes. I’m just happy my dear little boy is back and safe.” 

“... I’m sorry...Mom...” Red choked out.

For the first time in years, Red cried his heart out. 

...

When Red cried out the last of his tears, he began to settle back again in his home. He showered (in which he spent a few extra minutes just moaning when the warm water ran down his head and body) and changed his clothes, which his mother had affirmed looked like those of a vermin who had robbed a fan store many years ago, for an newer, but somewhat identical set that still made him look like a cosplayer (though less of a beggar). 

Red’s mother decided to prepare a “welcome home” meal with “A5 quality miltank beef” after hearing about his diet of spit-roasted golbat and wild berries, which were either grown and harvested by Venusaur or stolen by Pikachu from wild pokémons’ stashes. 

After an hour of fumbling with utensils and enjoying orgasmically delicious steak (Red swore he could _drink_ the fucking meat) and freshly picked vegetables from the garden as a late lunch, Red realized he should let out his pokémon, who were unfortunately cooped up inside their pokéballs the entire time.

Red let his team outside in the garden, where his mother could greet each one of his friends. Pikachu and Charizard (the latter being extra cautious with his tail flame) were the most familiar with her, so they embraced her as soon as they saw her. The other pokémon followed suit, and his mother thanked all of them for keeping him company throughout the years. As soon as she was done speaking to his team, she turned around to face him. Red could not help but notice Venusaur in his peripheral vision _dashing_ towards his mother’s plants.

Red and his mother proceeded to sit on a bench in the garden, simply enjoying the sunlight, the view of Red’s pokémon frolicking around, and the time they were spending together.

“Red,” his mother eventually said, “isn’t there someone else you should be visiting? Though I must say visiting me first was the bravest and sweetest thing you could do. I won’t be going anywhere, so go ahead and pay the Professor a visit.”

Red stared at her. How did she-

“You’re still my son, you know,” his mother grinned. “I know how you think.”

Touché.

...

Samuel Oak. If there was one word to describe the man, it would be “genius.” 

Who developed the Pokédex, the most important tool of all pokémon trainers worldwide? Samuel Oak. 

Who had at least a hundred renowned publications in the study of the bonds between pokémon and trainers that have been cited countless times in various scientific journals globally? Samuel Oak.

Who was the former League Champion thirty years ago that pushed for increased safety on the Indigo League routes, thus drastically dropping trainer death rates? Samuel Oak.

Who helped the tech genius Bill Masaki develop the convenient, mind-blowing PC storage system that utilized forefront knowledge of the newly discovered field of spatial warping? Samuel. Mother. Fucking. Oak.

While Samuel Oak was like an unreachable savant to the entire world, to Red, Professor Oak was the closest person he had to a father. Well, taking age (fifty-five wasn’t too bad now that Red thought about it) into account, “grandfather.” Had it not been for Blue’s complaints though, Red might as well have called the professor “grandpa.” 

Nonetheless, the accomplished professor was both a close neighbor and family friend. In fact, had it not been for Professor Oak, Red would never have left Pallet Town and become the legendary trainer he was now. Professor Oak provided the pokémon, the pokédex, and the money for Red to start his journey, something that Red had always been grateful for. Yet, Red had also managed to betray Professor Oak like he did with his mother. Leaving without ever saying goodbye or giving notice.

Red had returned his team back to their pokéballs before setting out for the laboratory. As soon as Red entered the pristine and somewhat rowdy building, he could overhear bits of Professor Oak’s research assistants’ rather interesting conversations.

“Of course a machamp with No Guard and Fissure is possible! All you have to do is...”

“No it’s not, dumbass. No machamp nowadays can use Fissure due to the XGEN1 virus...”

Red’s stupor was broken a few seconds later.

“Is that… really you?” 

The sharp, wise voice of Samuel Oak cut through the noise of the lab like a scyther’s blade. Everyone in the lab stopped what they were doing to listen to whatever Professor Oak had to say. It was not common for Professor Oak to sound so... _emotional_.

“Ah, apologies, please continue with whatever you’re doing,” Professor Oak waved his hand dismissively to his assistants. 

Red took a good look at the Professor. He had put on some weight, and his once brownish hair was now completely gray. But his eyes, though somewhat weary, had the same curious and intelligent gleam in them. 

The people in the lab returned to conversation, but this time, they were murmuring about what the Professor and the “weird boy.” While Red was relieved that they didn’t recognize him, he didn’t appreciate the unwanted attention he was receiving either.

Red saw Professor Oak glare at each of his research assistants. They all averted their eyes and shut up immediately. If only Red could have that ability.

“Let’s talk outside,” Professor Oak suggested as he opened the door for the young man.

Red nodded and headed out, wanting to escape everyone’s attention.

...

“Don’t worry, I’m sure no one recognized you,” The Professor reassured Red as he walked out of the lab. “It’s been four years since you left. A lot has happened since then 

and people’s memories can be rather fickle."

At least the fact that nobody in the lab had recognized him, even with his signature clothes, made a little more sense.

"So, why come back now? Why did you suddenly leave in the first place?” 

The two men strolled along a trodden dirt path that led to the eastern outskirts of Pallet Town. Red opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“You do know how worried your mother and I were for you, right? Even Blue joined the League’s search parties that went out to search for you.”

Red nodded numbly. Though the news that Blue, of all people, being worried about him was a shocker. Why would Blue be worried about Red, the one who had taken so much from him? Red looked at Professor Oak, surprised.

“Yes, even Blue. That’s how foolish your decision was to suddenly disappear like that. You had the League in a frightened panic, as well as the entirety of Kanto.”

That was expected. After all, the League Champion was the crown jewel of a region’s military and executive might. Of all the officials of the governing Indigo League, in fact of any governing League established throughout the world, the League Champion was the most widely known official. The League Champion was the one who would deal with criminal organizations, command the Elite Four and their squadrons of Ace Trainers and Rangers, and deal with regional disasters, such as quelling a legendary pokémon’s wrath. Given that the League Champion was the epitome of strength, the disappearance of the League Champion would certainly throw the region’s people into a panic. 

At the time, Red was hailed the strongest trainer in the world, the one who single-handedly dismantled Team Rocket, captured legendary pokémon, and became the youngest champion in any League’s history. His disappearance, as a result, was magnified a hundredfold than if he had been the average Champion. 

Red hated the attention he received as Champion. People had worshipped him as some sort of deity, and worst of all, the media were constantly hounding him and prying into his life. 

The media. Red hated the media, and he would until his last breath. 

“...The press was unforgiving-- they _demanded_ answers. They wouldn’t stop harassing the League, your mother, and me for two whole years. While many had wanted to give you a state funeral, there was never any evidence that you had died. So as acting Champion, Lance decided to set your status as ‘missing.’ A good call on his part, really. I fear for what would have happened to your mother if you were officially pronounced dead.”

Upon hearing the first few lines, Red couldn’t help but seethe at the pestering journalists. While it was his fault that they questioned the ones he cared about, it was their fucking _persistance_ that enraged him.

On another note, Red had to agree with Professor Oak about Lance, and made a self-reminder for him to thank the Dragon Master when he saw him again. 

Lance Wataru of the Elite Four was indeed the most capable and experienced person for the Champion position. At the age of nineteen, he was proclaimed as the most proficient dragon-type trainer in the world. Dragon-types were notoriously difficult to raise and train, as a high percentage of trainers were killed by their own dragons upon evolution. By the age of twenty-one, he was the strongest of the Elite Four. By twenty-three, he became the League Champion. Lance’s reign lasted for about two years, ending when Blue ultimately defeated him in battle.

Who decided that such a vital political position had to be surrendered through a mere pokémon battle? Yes, the position represented strength, but more importantly, it represented the ability to lead and take responsibility for an entire region. While Lance was defeated by both Red and Blue in combat, he was far more experienced with how the world worked and was far better at being a responsible leader than the two boys.

Given his preference to not speak, Red figured that he was always going to be more of a loner than a pack leader.

“You were only twelve when you took the throne, so Lance, the Elite Four, and most of the League forgave you rather quickly.”

But age wasn’t the problem. Blue, who was the same age as Red, was the League Champion before him. And if anything, Blue was the perfect fit for a League Champion: intelligent, ambitious, charismatic, nationalistic… All he needed was some experience and guidance. Yet Red took that position from the perfect candidate, and in the end, he abandoned the title not even a year after obtaining it. 

Actually, what was the reason that Red had shouldered the burden of being Champion? Red wasn’t even sure himself. Perhaps it was to fulfill the universal childhood dream of becoming a “Pokémon Master,” but such a goal was inherently vague and stupid, and certainly not enough to drive one to the pinnacle of a region’s most decorated position with heavy responsibilities. 

“So that brings me to the point— where have you been in the past four years?” 

Red hesitated before pointing his finger at the very top of the towering figure of Mt. Silver in the far distance. Professor Oak’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. 

“Mt. Silver’s summit?” Professor Oak asked incredulously. He laughed dryly before letting out a weary sigh. “No wonder no one could ever find you all these years. Well, maybe except for a certain young trainer who got my permission to climb the mountain a week ago…"

The Professor's eye twinkled curiously.

"Did you have fun battling him? Ethan was eerily quiet after he came back down. Didn’t say a word about the climb whatsoever. I could only guess that something really important must’ve happened on the mountain-- maybe he lost a battle, saw a traumatizing scene, met _someone_ .. _._ ” 

Red stared at the Professor. So the Professor sent Ethan to climb Mt. Silver. And apparently, Ethan didn’t tell anyone about their battle when he came back down.

Red could only nod numbly. 

“... And given how Ethan hasn't spoke a word about what happened, I suppose you wouldn't mind telling me about the outcome?”

Red smiled playfully and shook his head. If Ethan had kept the battle a secret, he would do the same, or in this case, the result of the battle. Professor Oak sighed in disappointment and gave up asking Red immediately.

Being the genius that he was, Professor Oak took notice of Red’s new clothes. 

“Did you tell your mother about being on Mt. Silver?”

Red shook his head. He hadn’t explicitly told her where he had been. He didn’t want to frighten her to death by telling her that he had been freezing his ass on top of the most perilous mountain on the continent. Not to mention the numerous times he had almost died had it not been for his pokémon. Also, she was mainly concerned about his safe return rather than where the hell he had been.

“Please, Red. Tell your mother the whole story. She deserves to know after all these years. She's your _mother_ after all.”

Red grunted before turning away from the professor. A silent moment passed between the two men as they stood in the breezy meadow.

“Alright, alright, I think I’ve scolded you enough,” the Professor finally said. “I’m just relieved to know you are back and safe. Besides, I trust you to fix your mistakes.”

The Professor patted Red gently on the shoulder before giving him a wide smile. 

“Now, I’m sure that you know how much I would love to check up on your pokémon.”

Those were the words Red wanted to hear from his mentor. He enthusiastically released his entire team in front of Professor Oak. The old man’s eyes shone with wonder as the Mt. Silver-conditioned team of Kanto’s strongest trainer appeared before him. The six beasts howled with delight as soon as they saw the Professor. The old man did give them tasty treats each time they were in his lab for checkups.

The Professor then let out a squeal, a completely unexpected noise from the usually composed scientist. Pikachu and Espeon scampered away from the Professor out of fright, before stopping and tilting their heads in utter confusion. Red stared owlishly at the old man who had seemingly just been possessed by a child.

“Your pokémon are all fascinating subjects!” Professor Oak exclaimed and he dashed around, inspecting each creature. “Your charizard’s tail flame is the most intense I’ve seen of his species-- I would certainly like to measure the upper limits of its flames’ temperature sometime in the future! Oh! Your pikachu’s abnormally large tail size is indicative of the astronomical charge that he can store within himself and, and, and your snorlax! A top percentile anomaly of his species! I should get Dexter and Tina to update the case studies… Oh, the breakthroughs in the literature! Ah! My apologies, Red. I’m blathering again.”

The Professor took a second to regain his composure.

“Ahem. Your pokémon are all doing very well, considering that they lived in a place that was supposed to be uninhabitable. Now that you’re back here in Pallet Town, have you thought about what you’re going to do next?”

Now that was a good question. His end goal was to go explore the world, but he didn’t want to leave his mother so quickly after he had just gotten back. That would be an outright dick move. 

Speaking of “dick”… he _did_ have amendments to make with a certain spiky-haired rival.

Perhaps it was his expression that gave his intentions away, or perhaps it was just how well the Professor knew him, but Professor Oak, just like his mother, was able to read his intentions like an alakazam. 

“Blue replaced Giovanni as the official Viridian Gym Leader about two years ago,” Oak informed him. “If my intuition is correct, you should head north and drop by the Gym tomorrow. This week seems to be a rare one— he’s actually there instead of journeying to someplace who knows where.”

Red was surprised. Viridian Gym Leader? Out of all the positions Blue could take, why that? If anything, Red thought Blue would take the Champion title by storming through the Elite Four and defeating Lance again. Blue was one _ambitious_ motherfucker after all.

“When you and Blue finally are finished making amends, please come see me again in my lab. You need to be updated with current events, which there is a lot of, and if you're interested, I have some jobs for you that you may find to your liking."

Red decided to nod his thanks and bade the Professor farewell for the day. As he mentally prepared himself for tomorrow’s impending shitshow with Blue, Red briskly walked home, towards the steadily setting sun.

Keeping his word to the Professor, Red informed his mother of where he had been in the past four years. His mother, who after few seconds of complete shock, delivered a surprisingly painful slap to his shoulder and a harsh scolding about being “reckless and stupid.” To her credit, Red admitted that in hindsight, it was idiotic of him to decide to live in near subzero temperatures. Red had wanted to remind his mother that he was, in fact, able to survive, but he decided against such a suicidal decision. 

His mother’s anger died down after a few minutes, and she embraced Red once more.

“My little champion is okay,” Red’s mother murmured. “I don’t know what I would do if you were confirmed to be dead.”

Red silently thanked Lance as he returned his mother’s hug. If anything had happened to his mother while he was gone, Red didn’t think he could live with himself. A few moments later, Red’s mom let go.

“Will you be leaving soon?”

Red shook his head.

“Hmm. So you’ll be staying in Pallet a little longer, huh? That’s my little champion for you, such a sweet, thoughtful boy.” 

Red looked away, completely embarrassed. He was too old for this. Just as he was about to complain, his mother ruffled his hair with a giggle and told him to go to bed. The exhaustion that had been pent up inside him the whole day finally manifested itself as a loud yawn, thus Red decided to relent and obey his mother.

“...Good night… mom…” 

“Good night, sweetie. Always know that mommy loves you, okay?”

Red smiled and nodded. The warmth of his home and his mother’s love was slowly making him forget the bitter cold of Mt. Silver with each passing minute. And so, for the first time in years, Red slept peacefully in a warm bed under a familiar roof.

A slow, quiet life was indeed the best life.


	2. Return, Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Old news first, I made a few minor edits to Chapter 1. Regarding the future of this story, there's still quite a lot I have to work out, but here's Chapter 2. Please read and review, as it would benefit my writing skills. Enjoy!

Red’s routine of waking up early kicked in. His mother was still asleep, and since he didn’t want to disturb her, he did his best to _quietly_ go through his morning home routine from half a decade ago. 

After clumsily slipping on a bathroom tile and knocking over several lotion and shampoo bottles, he was able to make his way to the kitchen and fix himself a light breakfast.

Red decided to leave his mother a note telling her where he would be going for the day, which, Red thought, was a small step in improving himself.

After several minutes of struggling to get his written words to not look like pidgey shit, Red was finally able to write something legible, bar all of the ink from his crossing out on the rest of the paper.

When Red had ensured that all of his belongings and pokémon were on his person, he unleashed Charizard outside and instructed him to fly to Viridian City.

...

It was well before noon when Red and Charizard arrived at Viridian. It had technically been the last city he was in before he isolated himself on Mt. Silver four years ago. Thankfully, no one seemed to recognize him, even with his signature clothes and hat on. The Professor was right. People had fickle memories.

Viridian City was a large, bustling city compared to Pallet Town. Surrounded by resource-rich forests that provided herbs, lumber, and food, Viridian City was a haven for all sorts of people, be it pharmacists, chefs, or businessmen. But most importantly, Viridian City was the gateway city to the Indigo League Headquarters, which stood proudly on the Indigo Plateau, which overlooked the entirety of Viridian City from the west. Thousands of trainers from all over the Kanto region would travel to Viridian in hopes of visiting the Indigo League Headquarters or challenging the Viridian Gym. 

Giovanni, despite his depravity as a human being, made for a competent Gym Leader who was notoriously known as the toughest Leader in the League. Only the most skilled of trainers, which was hardly any, were able to obtain an Earth Badge from him. The fact that two eleven-year olds, Red and Blue, had defeated him within a single month was unduly shocking for Viridian City's pride.

While strolling through the city, Red picked up stories from gossiping pedestrians about the Viridian Gym leader ruthlessly crushing all of his challengers for the week. Apparently, before Blue took over, the acting Gym Leader was a complete pushover in battle compared to Giovanni. Viridian’s ranking among the eight Indigo Gyms had plummeted after Giovanni’s disappearance.

Red smirked. So it seemed that Blue had already rebuilt the status of the Viridian Gym as the toughest gym in the League.

It was totally in character for Blue. Whenever he put his mind to something, he strove to become the best, to stand at the top. Ever since they had met as babies, Blue was the one who always took initiative in any game or lesson they had been part of. He was also the first among the children of Pallet Town to become invested in pokémon battling and to declare his goal to become Champion. And no one doubted him. After all, he was the grandson of the most accomplished man in the region, and he had inherited the same intelligence and talents. 

By the age of seven, Blue was already helping his grandfather organize and crunch research data, easily defeating older students in pokémon battles during simulations at school, and befriending almost anyone he met with his natural charm and intelligence. When it came to dealing with both humans and pokémon, Blue could handle both with the utmost ease. Blue Oak was simply Pallet Town’s golden boy, the one every parent would compare their child to. 

On the other hand, seven-year old Red was terrible with people, had almost no friends, and had originally no idea what he wanted to do with his life. But where he lacked human friends and skills, he made up a hundredfold with pokémon. Whether it be it town’s stray growlithe or the wild poliwags in the nearby pond, Red seemed to get along swimmingly with every pokemon he encountered. According to Professor Oak, Red’s innate talent with pokémon couldn’t be explained by genetics. His mother was a normal person who worked part time for Professor Oak, while his father was an average trainer who had abandoned the family when Red was young. 

What really caught the Professor’s eye about Red was when Atlas, the Professor's prized Champion-level _dragonite_ , let the silent seven-year old boy rub his snout as if he were some kind of pet. 

This was the same dragonite who radiated so much raw strength that even the wildest of nidoking and rhydon would cower in fear. The same dragonite who could bend the weather and sea to his will, brewing hurricanes and tidal waves with ease. The same dragonite who would snap at any human other than the Professor himself. 

And so, the Professor wasted no time in offering to mentor the boy in all sorts of pokémon fields in his laboratory, be it battling, nursing, training, breeding... 

It was during his time in Oak’s lab that Red found his interest and talent for pokémon battling. Children of his age, including Blue, would come by the lab to borrow Oak’s rattatas and pidgeys and hold monthly mock tournaments outside in the ranch. Red had participated in, and dominated those tournaments, defeating even Blue on multiple occasions. Professor Oak had been immensely impressed. As a result, the Professor gifted Pikachu to Red, who had just recently hatched at the time. Blue, being the Professor's grandson, received a growlithe pup who was a descendant of the original arcanine, Prometheus, on the Professor’s Champion team. As a result of their common interest and talent for battling, he and Blue had been the closest of friends, and friendly rivals for around three years.

Red fondly remembered the times when all the students in the trainers’ school would gather around every single simulation battle between him and Blue, and the chants and cheers that would immediately erupt from the crowd.

Unfortunately, half a year before they had set off on their pokémon journeys, their friendship had soured due to the growing competitiveness among their trainer class to become sponsored, full-fledged trainers. Specifically in Red and Blue's case, their competition was to see who would become the better trainer. Around the same time, Blue had also turned into a bully, jeering at Red during their sparring matches and poking fun at Red’s silent demeanor and lack of friends.

Red frowned as he stopped in front of the Gym. It looked similar to when he had first seen it, though it appeared to have been remodeled slightly from its original ground-type theme to a more chic, modern style.

Red walked in and was immediately greeted by a Gym guide, who was wearing an official League referee uniform and holding a clipboard. In the background, the gym had been completely remodeled with a technological feel, with dark-plated walls and floor, and a complex spinning tile puzzle that led to the other end of the Gym. Suddenly being reminded of the Team Rocket hideout spinning puzzles, Red felt nauseous. Blue was one sadistic bastard.

"Hey there, champ in the making!" the guide said cheerfully. "Leader Blue isn't taking any more challenges at the moment. Please return tomorrow for a walk-in battle or make an appointment."

Red glared at the guide, who immediately dropped his cheerful demeanor and looked very uncomfortable. Did guides always use those fakeass greetings?

But it did seem like the Gym was rather empty, though. There were no junior trainers in sight.

“Who is it?” Blue’s annoyed voice called out from an office at the far end of the Gym. “I swear if it’s Joey, tell him to get the fuck out! I’ve kicked his ass at least thrice in the past two days!”

“I-It’s not, sir,” the gym guide stammered. “I think it may be someone you know?”

“Huh?” Blue quickly rushed out of his room and ran towards the Gym’s entrance.

Blue’s appearance had changed somewhat. He was taller and noticeably more muscular, and he now wore a black leather jacket and brown cargo pants. His face was considerably more angular, too, having lost traces of baby fat from his youth. There were parts of him that hadn't changed at all. He still had a head full of spiky brown hair, a face brimmed with confidence and intelligence, and the moonstone necklace he always wore shone around his neck. Overall though, he was growing up to be a "pretty boy."

Upon seeing the ever so familiar stoic face, Blue’s face was contorted with complete shock that Red quickly committed to memory. 

“R-red...?!” Red overheard Blue whisper.

But Blue swiftly regained his composure.

“... if it isn’t the _chatty_ gossip,” Blue sneered with the most obnoxious voice possible. “Thought you would be dead in some ditch in the middle of nowhere.”

But if there was one constant in life, it would be Blue acting like an asshole.

The gym guide wisely shied away from the two teenagers. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife and was only thickening by the second.

“Well come on now,” Blue motioned with a smirk plastered on his face. “It’s been what? Four years since we last battled? It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent battle. Hey, Jeff, be our referee. Three-on-three, no terrain sound good?"

Red nodded. Red couldn’t care less about the battle format and terrain. Blue just needed an ass whooping at this moment. The two boys walked to their positions (thankfully the puzzle was deactivated) on the battlefield. 

"Sir, is he challenging for a badge?" Jeff asked as he shuffled through some paperwork on his clipboard.

"No," Blue sternly replied. "This battle is off the record, understood?"

Jeff nodded frantically and set the papers aside.

Blue turned his attention back to Red.

“You know I’ve only given out one badge during my two years as Gym Leader? To some Johto boy named Ethan. Man could that guy battle.”

Red wasn’t surprised in the faintest. Of course Ethan was able to defeat Blue. Ethan’s battling skill was equal to, perhaps even better, than Red's. 

Wait... “Johto boy?” Why was a Johtoan challenging the Indigo League?

Blue saw the confusion on Red’s face.

“Ah right. You wussed out of being Champion before it happened. About a year after you left, Lance convinced the Johtoans to join the Indigo League and he helped establish their own eight Gym circuit. So trainers from either Johto or Kanto can challenge any of the sixteen Gyns now under the Indigo League’s jurisdiction." 

Red raised an eyebrow in slight interest. So Lance finally convinced the traditionalist nutjobs of the west finally realized the superiority of Kanto's military might and saw how beneficial a union of the two regions could be. Protection for Johto, more natural resources for Kanto. Red wasn't particularly invested in politics and diplomacy, but as Champion, he did pick up bits and pieces about unification attempts from Kantonian ambassadors at the Indigo Headquarters.

"Are you caught up now? Hope you’re not as slow as you were five years ago.”

Red ignored the insults hurled at him. There was no merit in paying attention to them. He did kick Blue’s ass several times over in order to become Champion.

Red enlarged Blastoise’s pokéball. Which pokémon did Blue use now?

“Silent and straight to the point, as always,” Blue snarled. "Fantastic. But I'm warning you, Red, don't expect a victory this time. Go, Hephaestus!"

A massive arcanine with a thick golden mane emerged from the pokéball that Blue had tossed. It roared mightily as it emerged before directing a ferocious stare at Red. 

Blue had decided to welcome him back with a familiar face. Using Blastoise now would be an insult to both to everyone, especially Pikachu. Red swiftly switched pokéballs and sent out Pikachu. The little mouse let out a cute cry as it emerged.

Pikachu, his first ever pokémon whom he had received from Professor Oak, was a hardy, cheeky little devil who could hit hard and _fast_. Given his small size relative to many opponents, it made sense that he was rather underhanded in battle. Within his species, however, Pikachu was at the apex. Red recalled Professor Oak's explanation of one of his colleagues’ research topics, something about a tedious process called "light ball breeding" that Pikachu was a rare product of. Since Pikachu was speedy and sneaky, he had found a burning passion for developing pranks during his past time, many of which the growling arcanine across the battlefield was an unfortunate victim.

Pikachu immediately recognized the opposing pokémon and its trainer, he snarled and got on all fours, with his tail raised high. He was now clearly taking the battle seriously. After all, this was a battle between two rivals' first pokémon.

A tense staredown between the pokémon and their trainers lasted for a few seconds before Blue made the first move. He whistled two high pitch notes. 

Red couldn’t help but be flattered— the Blue Oak had taken a few tricks from Red Satoshi's own battling style!

Hephaestus crouched into ground, flexing its powerful hind legs, before disappearing in a mere instant. _Extreme Speed_.

Red whistled a low note and clicked his tongue. _Dodge and immobilize._

An orange blur soon materialized in front of Pikachu, who noticed it immediately and leapt back as fast as he could. Hephaestus’s form phased into reality, his maw blazing hot with flames. _Fire Fang._

Thanks to Hephaestus's Extreme Speed, Pikachu could not completely dodge the Fire Fang. He cried out sharply as his side was seared by the Fire Fang, but he endured the pain and immediately regained his composure. 

Carrying out Red’s command, Pikachu landed a Brick Break right onto the patellar joint of Hephaestus's hind leg. As a species, arcanine did tend to rely heavily on their hind legs to attain high speeds. Taking out their hindlegs immediately eliminated many of arcanine's battle tactics. 

Hephaestus howled in pain as he stumbled onto the ground.

Seeing a ripe opportunity, Pikachu followed his assault with a weak wave of electricity that covered Hephaestus like a blanket. _Thunder Wave._

“Tch, damned pikachus,” Blue muttered from across the field. 

But Blue was nowhere near done. He snapped his fingers loudly.

Hephaestus’s paralysis did not stop him from opening its mouth and unleashing a scorching hellfire at the yellow mouse. _Overheat._

Red whistled a low note again. _Dodge._

Pikachu used another Quick Attack to avoid the brunt of the damage, though his yellow fur was noticeably blackened afterwards. He was not burned, but he was clearly in pain from the Fire Fang. 

A sea of fire now blazed in the middle of the battlefield.

Pikachu wasn't going to last very long at this rate. Red snapped his fingers. _Volt Tackle._

Just like Hephaestus’s Extreme Speed, Pikachu took off in a blur of electricity, zipping towards the dog in a zig-zag pattern while avoiding the flames of the Overheat, before crashing into Hephaestus’s underside. Hephaestus, whose leg was still injured, had no chance of dodging. It was a finishing blow, and Hephaestus’s fainted form skidded several meters away from where Pikachu collided into him. 

Pikachu winced from the recoil. Though he looked as if he were about to topple over, his training on Mt. Silver seemed to have paid off in terms of endurance. Pikachu continued to stand.

Blue returned Hephaestus to his pokéball. Jeff called for a seadra to prevent the flames from spreading out of control. 

Red looked at Pikachu. _Can you manage just another Thunder Wave?_

Pikachu seemed to understand Red’s questioning stare and nodded weakly.

“Well, well, well,” Blue applauded, “Looks like your rat still packs a punch. I know what you’re trying to do, Red. Think you can use Pikachu for another move? Tough luck, buddy. Ares, Bullet Punch.”

As soon as a muscular, four-armed beast materialized from its pokéball, it dashed forward and slammed one of his fists into Pikachu’s exhausted and weakened form, sending the mouse flying into the air. Pikachu was already unconscious by the time he hit the floor. Ares the machamp roared loudly, revelling in his victory. 

Red cradled Pikachu’s unconscious form before returning him back to his ball. Now it was Blastoise’s time to shine. Red tossed Blastoise’s pokéball into the battlefield.

Blastoise materialized and immediately adopted a defensive position.

Red clapped his hands together. _Fake Out._ Blastoise dashed forward and slammed a leg into Ares’ torso, putting it out of commission for a brief moment.

As soon as Blastoise delivered his attack, Red clicked his tongue. _Iron Defense_. Once Area flinched, the large tortoise quickly retreated and concentrated on fabricating an Iron Defense. Blastoise’s entire body took on a silvery hue. 

On the other side of the battlefield, Area quickly made a full recovery and had an orange aura briefly encircle him. A Steadfast machamp, a rarity among its kind.

Blue was wearing the smarmy, most shit-eating smirk that he could muster-- something that Red didn’t particularly miss while on Mt. Silver.

“Thunder Punch in succession.”

Ares, now speed-boosted, charged towards Blastoise with crackling fists. The first punch struck Blastoise’s belly, sending waves of electricity coursing through Blastoise’s entire body. 

Blastoise grunted in pain as he tanked another of the super effective punches. The Iron Defense was a life saver. 

As soon as Ares reeled in his fist from the second punch, he found himself unable to deliver the third Thunder Punch. Both Blastoise and Red returned Blue’s shit-eating smirk. Pikachu’s Static ability had come to fruition after Ares’ initial Bullet Punch.

Red clapped twice, but he knew it was unnecessary. Blastoise already knew what to do.

The shellfish pokémon’s body glowed red as he successfully grappled the machamp, and then proceeded to slam the superpower pokémon to the ground with a sickening crunch. _Counter._

Ares tried his best to push himself up, but the damage sustained from the Counter was taking its toll. Ares fell back down with his face implanted on the ground. His large body was heaving with deep breaths.

Jeff blew his whistle, signalling a timeout. He rushed over to Ares to check on his status. 

"Ares is down for the count. Leader Blue, please return Ares and send out your next pokémon."

Blue frowned deeply as he returned the fallen machamp. He was down to his last pokémon, whose pokéball rested snugly in his hand.

"Hey Red," Blue called out loudly. "Can you do me a favor?"

Red lifted his head and looked at his opponent.

Was Blue asking for a favor? What was next? Was Red going to find a useful magikarp? 

"Don't piss your pants when you see my next battler."

And a magikarp was still fucking useless. Red didn't show any sign of response. 

"Go, Hermes."

Red was immediately let down. Hermes was Blue’s pidgeot. A normal pidgeot that Red was familiar with. What was so frightening about it?

Blue then pulled back one of his jacket sleeves, revealing a sleek black bracelet with a rainbow orb embedded in it.

Red’s eyes narrowed in concern. What was going on?

Red's question was answered by a blinding light that engulfed Hermes and a strange glowing rainbow symbol that shone above the bird. When the light disappeared, Hermes’s appearance had changed rather drastically. His height had increased noticeably, and his wingspan had almost doubled in size. He certainly looked _regal._ A long red feather protruded from his usual gold and red plume, and his tail and wing feathers were touched with shades of red and royal blue.

_Ooooookay. What the fu-_

"Hurricane."

Hermes took into the air and flapped his powerful wings, generating shrieking winds that accumulated into a giant twister. Said twister spun towards Blastoise at an alarming rate, tearing up the ground below it and anything that got in its way.

When the attack struck, there wasn't a chance for Blastoise to activate Torrent or even cry out in pain. It was a rapid knockout.

Red returned Blastoise to his pokéball and frowned. Was there a newly discovered stage in the pidgey evolution line? 

Red decided to send out his best aerial battler, Charizard. 

Charizard was the ruthless warrior of the team. His special and physical attacks were equally devastating, and given his ability to fly, he dominated almost all of his aerial battles. He and Blastoise shared a friendly rivalry, as both were often seen wrestling during training sessions. Charizard was also the second pokémon that Red had ever owned. Charizard, just a small charmander at the time, was both a birthday and farewell gift from Professor Oak right before he had first set off for Viridian. Because of their extra time spent together, Pikachu and Charizard got along rather well, despite their differences in personalities.

Charizard burst out of his pokéball with a mighty roar. He stared curiously at the now colorful Hermes soaring above before huffing a puff of smoke from his snout and propelling himself into the air.

“Air Slash,” Blue ordered.

The majestic bird, who was noticeably faster than Charizard, flapped his wings again, sendings blades of shrieking wind towards Charizard, who managed to dive towards the ground to avoid the worst of the attack. However, some of the blades managed to cut Charizard’s wings. Charizard’s flying speed dampened noticeably.

Luckily, it seemed that Hermes couldn’t use one Hurricane right after another. Red snapped his fingers. _Fire Blast._

Charizard opened its maw and unleashed a star-shaped inferno, which struck the opposing bird square in the chest. Hermes screeched in agony as he was engulfed in flames. 

Red was confused. Given how mobile he was in the air, why didn’t Hermes dodge? Why didn’t Blue order him to dodge? That didn't make sense unless...

Unless Hermes’s new form had the ability No Guard, the double-edged sword of abilities. Though the mechanism by which the ability worked was still mostly a mystery even for leading scientists specializing in ability research, all that was needed for trainers to know was that any hits a No Guard pokemon used, would always land at the expense of moves always hitting it as well. 

No wonder the Hurricane had landed so easily earlier. Red smirked. It seemed that guaranteed hits came at a steep cost.

Hermes twirled around in the air as he tried to extinguish the flames that had caught onto his feathers.

“Hermes, smother the flames! Then use Hurricane!”

If Hermes recovered, Charizard was done for. Red clicked his tongue. _Blast Burn._

Charizard obeyed immediately. He opened his maw once more, only this time, the temperature emanating from within his body was considerably hotter than before. The air around the draconic beast became distorted by the heat waves rolling off of it, and Red couldn’t help but notice the sweat rolling down his neck and staining his clothes. And then Charizard finally unleashed its Blast Burn, blinding everyone in the room with the brilliant fire.

Hermes had no chance of tanking the attack. When Red could see again, Charizard was kneeling on his side of his battlefield, immobilized from using Blast Burn. Hermes, on the other hand, was crumpled on the ground, its entire body blackened and showing no visible signs of breathing. Red panicked. Did he _kill-_

Blue had already rushed towards the fallen bird with a max revive in hand. After a few long seconds, Hermes’s eyes fluttered open, and he affectionately cooed at Blue. Both Blue and Red sighed deeply in relief. Blue returned Hermes to his pokéball and handed it, along with his other injured pokémon, to the referee, who immediately dashed out of the Gym towards the Pokémon Center. Red collapsed onto his knees. He had wanted to whoop Blue’s ass. But he didn’t want to kill his pokémon. Not after what had happened on St. Anne all those years ago.

Red returned Charizard to his ball, stood up and walked over to where his rival sat on the battlefield. Blue seemed to sense what Red wanted to do.

“I’ve forgiven you about my raticate a long time ago, Red,” Blue said quietly. “It was my fault that he died. I forced him to continue battling like a tool despite his injuries. I still pay the price to this day with my guilt.”

Red didn’t know what to say. He just stood there, staring at his rival talk.

“And I’ve forgiven you for taking the Champion title away from me, too,” Blue confessed. “I deserved that, especially after how I treated my pokémon like my tools rather than my companions.”

Red nodded slowly. He tried to opened his mouth to speak--

“No, don’t apologize,” Blue growled. “Not about Hermes. If you had really wanted him dead, I know your Charizard could do it within a heartbeat. Besides, that battle was the most fun that I’ve had this whole year.”

Blue closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out, shuddering as he did so.

“But fucking leaving your mother and gramps without saying a word?” Blue was visibly shaking with anger. “I-I-... Because what? You thought there was nothing else for you to do in the world? So that meant you could abandon your family like a pile of shit? Hell, not even _I_ have ever been that damn _arrogant_. I... don’t know if I can forgive you for what you did four years ago.”

This was the scolding that Red had expected. The scolding that he deserved. Not the relatively warm welcomes filled with unconditional love that both his mother and Professor Oak had given him.

Red tried to signal to Blue that he wanted to speak.

“I’m not done,” Blue angrily snapped. “Do you know how much it pained me when your mother would break down in tears each time the League and I told her there was no sign of you? Or how about how hard I had to clench my teeth with anger when she was greeting her neighbors and friends with the most pained smile that I’ve ever seen? All because her son grew so arrogant that he couldn’t even make time for a fucking _phone call_?” 

Blue got up and delivered a sharp right hook to Red’s face. Red collapsed onto the ground. 

"Damn it, Red!" Blue shouted. "Do you know how much pain your selfishness caused for all of us?! Huh?"

Red winced at his now stinging face, fighting against his gnawing primal urge to swing back. He deserved that punch anyway.

“... Thanks… I … needed… that…” Red got up slowly and spat out the blood that started pooling in his mouth.

Blue froze. When Red was able to talk, one simply _listened._

“I'm sorry... and thanks… for looking after… my mom… for me… I’m… paying… the price … now… with… my guilt, too…”

Blue had balled his fists again in preparation for another punch, but he relented and sighed heavily.

“Knowing your mom and gramps, they’ve probably forgiven you already,” Blue groaned. “And besides, staying mad at you isn’t gonna help you become any less of an idiot or help anyone else.”

Blue sat down on the field again, wearing an unreadable expression. The punch had made Red slightly dizzy, so he decided to sit down as well. The two trainers sat across from each other, looking at the scorched ground.

Several minutes of deafening silence, which seemed like an eternity for both boys, passed. 

Unintentionally, Blue snuck a glimpse at Red’s now swelling cheek before grinning wolfishly. Unable to help himself, Blue broke out into hysterical laughter. “H-honestly, that p-punch really did wonders for me. Y-your f-f-face!”

Blue howled in laughter again.

“Y-You should really try it someday.”

It seemed like humor was Blue’s way of showing his forgiveness. Red smiled brightly as he felt part of the guilt that had been weighing him down for years lightened a bit. 

“Well… how about…right now… pretty boy?”

Blue’s humored smile turned into a challenging, though friendly one.

“Pretty what? You damn recluse! I’m gonna mess-” 

“Uhh sorry to interrupt, sir,” Jeff suddenly called out from the entrance, swooping in just at the right time. “Hermes is stabilized and well. He should be ready to go within a couple of days. As for your other pokémon, they’ve already been healed.”

Jeff jogged to the center of the field and handed Ares and Hephaestus’s pokéballs to Blue.

“Thanks Jeff,” Blue said as he took the two pokéballs from his employee. He then faced Red again and extended his hand. “... And nice battle, Red.”

Red shook Blue’s hand. After six years of a bitter rivalry, the two were back to being friends again… probably.

“Alright,” Blue said as he stood and prepared to exit the Gym. “Jeff, close up for me, will ya? Red, let’s get something to eat. I know a good place not too far from here, and I’m _starving_.”

Red shrugged and followed after Blue to the exit. He hadn’t had lunch yet, either.

“Oh, and uh, don't wear your hat and jacket,” Blue requested playfully. “I don’t want my fellow Viridians to think I hang out with an outdated cosplayer.”

Red glared at his friend, who looked away and whistled an oddly familiar jingle. 

_Asshat,_ Red thought to himself angrily.

...

After taking a Blissey’s Heal Pulse to the face and healing his team, Red found himself seated with Blue outside of a relatively quiet café, underneath a giant, shady oak tree. 

Other than a few teenage girls who had squealed and swarmed Blue (no one seemed to recognize Red, though some of the girls did steal glances at him and giggle among themselves) for autographs and pictures when they saw him, the two friends were left unbothered to enjoy their meals, drinks, and one-sided conversation. 

“What you saw Hermes do is called ‘Mega Evolution,’” Blue explained. “It was a recent discovery made in Kalos by Professor Sycamore. I had the chance to snag myself a few Mega Stones for my pokémon when I visited the Kalos region for a research trip. Nice place, really. Oh, did you know Kantonians have travel visas to over seven different regions now? Seems like after the Great War, the world’s been opening up to Kanto again.”

Not were there _seven_ more places to explore, but some of his main battlers could evolve further? Red was pleasantly surprised.

Blue continued on.

“Let’s see… What else have you missed? Well, you know that kid Ethan I mentioned earlier? The kid’s a prodigy. He managed to conquer all sixteen Indigo Gyms, defeat the Elite Four and Lance, and _properly_ resigned from Champion duties after a month. Oh, and he was able to stop an attempt to reorganize Team Rocket.”

Red ignored Blue’s jab as his face hardened at the last piece of information.

“Oh, Giovanni wasn’t involved, just a few of his underlings who clearly were not as competent as he was. Honestly, their plan was straight up fucking stupid. Like seriously? Taking over a radio station has-”

Red decided to tune out the rest of Blue’s words. He thought he was going to have to hunt down and beat an old man’s ass once again. But the news about Ethan stopping Team Rocket made Red even more impressed. It seemed that he wasn't the only prodigy of the generation. Were there other trainers like him and Ethan?

“... would do that?! Anyway… back to Ethan. You should really battle him sometime because I have no idea who would win. Both of you share this really strange… aura… whenever you battle. It’s pretty damn terrifying. Heh. If you two battled each other, I bet I could make huge profits organizing the betting pools.”

Red chuckled softly. His and Ethan’s real battle would be in a real stadium with a determined victor and loser. For now, Red didn’t see the harm in telling his childhood friend the same thing he told the Professor.

Red took out a pen from the ordering tray and a napkin from the table’s dispenser, and started writing.

_I battled Ethan on Mt. Silver._

Blue stared at Red.

“Mt. Silver? Mew’s tits! That’s why Ethan was collecting sixteen badges! You know, I had suspected you were somewhere fucking dangerous, but I didn’t think you would actually be at Mt. Silver! How are you still alive? The League’s search teams couldn’t find any trace of you at the foot of the mountain! A-a-and who won the battle?"

Red held up his hand and gave Blue an annoyed glare. Blue shut up.

 _Mt. Silver was quiet, and I liked it up there for the first two years._ _And I’m not telling you anything other than the fact that the battle convinced me to return home. Both of us want to keep the battle as much a secret as possible._

“Damn, a mystery I won’t figure for a while… guess I’ll have to treat Ethan to a five-star meal sometime,” Blue replied jokingly. “Hell, I didn’t think anyone would be able to find and even less so _bring_ you back.”

Red shrugged. 

_Character development, I guess._

Blue laughed and finished the last of his drink. Red continued to scribble on the napkin. It was his turn to ask questions.

_Why didn’t you take back the Champion title? Why Gym Leader?_

Blue took a moment to think before replying.

“Technically, I am the Champion since you gave up the title,” Blue stated bureaucratically. “But I gave the reins to Lance. Besides, being a Gym Leader gives me a lot more freedom. Unlike a Champion, I can delegate most of my tasks to my underlings. Also gives me more time to help gramps with research, as well as visiting other regions. And…”

Blue stopped speaking. Red looked at his rival quizzically. Blue looked embarrassed for a moment before speaking again.

“And I guess I figured that if you weren’t vying to stay as the Champion, then there was really no point in trying to take the position again. I’m fine with being a Gym Leader that can kick Lance’s ass. I’ve got two other former Champions that I want to beat anyways.”

Blue gave him a challenging smile.

“What’s the record now? I have seven wins, 24 losses, and four draws?”

_7-25-4. You forgot the first battle at the lab with charmander and squirtle._

Blue clicked his tongue. “Mew's tits! That bad? I _really_ need to up my game. Now that I think about it, I’ve never defeated you in any of the, let me see, _eight_ battles during our journey! Unbelievable.”

_You were in over your head most of the time._

“Yeah, yeah, yeah," Blue muttered. "Say, aren’t you heading back towards gramps' place after this?”

Red crumpled up his napkin and nodded. Both trainers had finished eating ten minutes ago and were essentially loitering around in the café. It was time to go.

"Alright, I'll come with you," Blue said. "I need to see him as well. I have a package from Kalos for him. Hey, once I’m ready… race you to Pallet?"

A few moments later, the entirety of Viridian City was shaken by the ferocious roars of a charizard and an aerodactyl, which was followed by two young men’s laughter as the two flying beasts raced each other southwards.

...

“According to literature values, aerodactyls are known to be faster than charizards! I clearly won the race!”

“...”

“What do you mean charizard’s been conditioned for racing? What a load of-”

Everyone’s attention in Oak’s laboratory was directed at the two teenage boys arguing (only one of them was doing so verbally) over who had won some “race” that they had.

“Ahem. Boys?” Oak called out sternly. “You’re distracting my employees.”

Red and Blue (mostly Blue) quieted down.

“Ah, hey Gramps. We’re here to see you. I have your package from Kalos by the way.”

“Oh, excellent! Please come to my office.”

Red tried to ignore the persisting stares of Oak's research aides who wanted to know who he was exactly, being friendly with the Viridian Gym Leader and being able to meet with their boss so freely. Thankfully, the Professor had shooed them all away so he could speak to the two boys in private.

When Oak’s office door had closed shut, Blue handed his grandfather a tightly wrapped bundle from his satchel.

"Thank you, Blue," his grandfather said as he received the package. "What absolutely perfect timing. What I have here are several brand new Pokédex, containing all of the data on every single known pokémon known thus far. And it’s still compiling more data to its database to this date! I have appropriately named it the 'National Dex.’ It’s the pinnacle of all Pokédex after all! Strangely enough, some regions, like Alola and Galar, refuse to accept this version, preferring to stick to their own. But oh well, their loss."

Speaking of Pokédexes, Red fished out his digested Pokédex from inside his backpack. The stench of the bulky red box hit the three men's noses immediately.

"What in the world did you do to your Pokédex?" The Professor asked incredulously with a pinched nose. "Did a wild pokémon somehow defecate it out?"

Red cleared his throat awkwardly. The Professor had hit the proverbial nail on the head.

"You're shitting me," Blue laughed before gagging from the smell and covering his face with his jacket sleeve. "Well, a wild pokémon did, at least."

"That's going into the burner. Immediately." The Professor proceeded to call over an unfortunate intern to dispose of the biohazardous junk.

Once the smell dissipated from the office, the three continued with their conversation. 

“Where was I? Right! The National Pokédex! This is the first batch of the newest editions, so it is only fitting that I bestow the first two to the duo who helped me collect the original 151 pokémon entries! Here, have a look at them.”

Professor Oak beamed proudly as Red turned the glossy, sleek device over in his hands. It looked so… advanced and futuristic compared to his old one. He turned the device on. Thankfully, the new interface seemed user friendly, so he wouldn’t have to struggle over the instruction manual for as long as he had thought. Red turned the Pokédex off and pocketed it. 

"So as Blue may have told you, Kanto has unified with Johto under the Indigo League's jurisdiction. In addition, regions such as Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola have opened their borders to Indigo trainers. Galar is rather unwelcoming to outsiders, unfortunately." 

Red nodded, and Professor Oak continued on for an hour. It was a long information session, but Red was able to synthesize the most important pieces from the giant mesh of words crammed into his head during the past hour.

The world had obviously globalized during Red's disappearance, pokémon from different regions could now be found in places where they never have been known to be found before.

There were also several major discoveries within pokémon research in various regions all over the globe. 

The phenomenon of Mega Evolution, where some pokémon species were able to evolve further than their final stage, through a temporary manipulation of their genes with the aid of a Mega Stone and Key Stone, spread quickly throughout the world, especially to Hoenn, after Professor Sycamore first published his paper on Mega Evolution. 

In Alola, pokémon have been known to have been able to use Z-Moves, a mechanism by which one of a pokémon's known moves were powered up into a devastating attack through a crystal medium. Professor Oak’s cousin, Samson Oak, and his assistant, Kukui, were the forefront scientists in that field, and were currently studying Z-Moves in further detail.

Finally, for some reason only in Galar, pokémon were able to use either Dynamax or Gigantamax, where a pokémon would take on colossal forms and unleash far more powerful moves. However, the Galar League suppressed much of the information regarding this phenomenon from leaking out of the region.

As for Red’s fame, it had (luckily) taken a sharp nose dive as many young trainers around the world were accomplishing feats similar to his own in Kanto, thus diverting the world's attention from Red onto themselves. Apparently, Ethan wasn't the only imposing trainer around. As if it were some chained coincidences across the Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova regions, young trainers like Red had tamed their region’s respective legendaries and crushed some sinister group that had threatened the land, world, or universe.

Around the time Red was on his journey, thirteen-year-old Brendan Yuki had stopped both Team Aqua and Magma from destroying the entirety of Hoenn. According to some rumors, Brendan also flew to outer space on the Dragon God Rayquaza in order to stop an incoming meteor. 

While Red was on Mt. Silver, Sinnohian Champion Dawn Hikari had prevented Team Galactic from using the gods of time and space to reset the universe. The Sinnohian trainer also had faced off against the pokémon equivalent of the devil incarnate in the Distortion World. Given how impressive those feats were, Red was completely flabbergasted when Professor Oak told him that Dawn wasn’t as widely worshipped as a deity like he had been.

Finally, just recently in Unova, and certainly the most curious, the most recent Unovian Champion had exposed Team Plasma for their nefarious plans, defeated their “king,” helped arrest seven of their leaders, captured and tamed the Black Dragon Zekrom, only to disappear just like Red had after obtaining the Champion title.

In addition to the young prodigies, more people-inclined Champions like Wallace Mikuri and Lance, and the former Hoenn Champion Steven Stone, were far better politicians than Red could ever hope to be. They were welcoming to the press and were constantly in the spotlight, entertaining the people of their regions with their charm. 

Ultimately, Red, being the asocial figure, was soon forgotten due to the rise of other prominent trainers and the lack of media exposure over the years. 

But that meant the current situation was looking favorable for him. He could explore the world without being recognized or hounded, he could enjoy the peace and quiet at home. Red almost drooled at the thought of his ideal future. Unfortunately, his trance was broken almost immediately by the Professor’s voice.

“While this wasn’t part of my original intentions, I do want to give you these. I believe you’re the best person to give these to.”

Oak opened a small box that was bundled with the package. Inside sat a bracelet like Blue’s, and five orbs, each gleaming with different colors.

Red raised an eyebrow. Four Mega Stones and a rainbow stone he presumed was meant for the trainer.

“One for blastoise, another for venusaur, and two for charizard,” Blue said. “Use them well. Not like you wouldn’t be able to.”

Red nodded in thanks to both Oaks and stored the box inside his backpack. He would have to start training the three starters with the stones as soon as possible.

The curious part of Red’s mind began to nag him. There was something Professor Oak was missing. 

_Jobs?_ Red mouthed.

"Right, thank you for reminding me,” Professor Oak said as he rushed to his cluttered desk and pulled out a sealed manilla envelope with “CONFIDENTIAL” stamped on its face. Red looked at the envelope quizzically. Should he really be receiving this?

“This isn’t devastatingly urgent, but it is an… interesting... case from Hoenn that I think you should really look at. I unfortunately have neither the time nor energy to attend to this, and I’m afraid I’ve already asked Blue to help me with other projects. I know you said that you didn't leave Pallet immediately, but do let me know if you want to take the job. Given this project’s nature, I do think you’re the best person to take the job.”

“...”

“Don’t worry about the ‘confidential’ stamp. You are technically one of my closest research aides, thanks to your contribution to the original Pokédex. So the contents of the folder can be for your eyes… And besides, I know you won’t speak of what’s inside anyway,” the Professor said, giving him a wink.

That was a good point, Red admitted. And given the “confidential” stamp and how vague Professor Oak was, Red was now very interested in the contents of the envelope in his hand. But what Professor did next surprised Red. The Professor tugged at his shirt’s collar, which meant that there was a warning he was trying to convey. Red nodded in acknowledgement, stored the envelope into his backpack and held up seven fingers at the Professor. _Give me a week to decide_.

Professor Oak understood what Red’s signal meant and nodded understandingly. Red didn’t want to leave his mother so soon, and he had just received some new “toys” for his pokémon to play with.

“Well, that’s it for now, you two. Now if you don’t mind me, I have to go check on some pokémon at the ranch. I will see you boys soon.” 

“See ya, Gramps.”

“...”

Red and Blue left the lab through the front door. 

“Heh, it hasn’t even been a week since you’ve come back and Gramps is already pinning some of his work onto you.” 

Red shrugged. It was mutually beneficial anyway. Red could explore another region while learning about new pokémon, while Professor Oak could focus on his research in his lab. Blue laughed and shook his head before releasing Hermes from his pokéball.

“Well then Red, I’m gonna head back to Viridian for now. You know, paperwork and all that jazz. Good luck on that job of yours if you end up taking it.”

Red simply nodded and waved awkwardly as Blue climbed onto Hermes.

“Oh and Red-” 

Red tilted his head questioningly.

“It’s about fucking time you came back.” Blue flashed his brightest grin before nudging Hermes to take off.

Red grinned as Blue and Hermes’s shape grew smaller in the distance. It certainly was time.


	3. Anemoi, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red is back, but what about that envelope from Professor Oak? What could possibly be inside?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while. I now understand why most of my favorite Red-centric fics are abandoned now-- life ultimately fucks us all in the ass haha. It's a lot of work to think of, write down, and edit these chapters, and unfortunately in the end, it's just a fanfiction, which means no profits (unless I somehow manage pull off a Fifty Shades of Grey) except for the readers' enjoyment. 
> 
> But with the hype of Diamond and Pearl remakes and Pokemon Legends: Arceus announced, and my need to take my mind off of university, here's the new chapter as well as a few edits to the previous chapters. Please read and review.

Throughout the week, Red made the most out of his time with his mother. It was almost as if he was ten years old again, happily offering his help with any task he could. But of course, his mother insisted that she wasn’t an old lady who needed help with everything and would bat him away furiously. Red could only surrender to her wishes.

What Professor Oak had said about Red's popularity was far more nuanced than what Oak had made it out to be. For the most part, people seemed to remember Blue and “his similarly-named friend” claiming the Champion title a few years back, before dismissing them both as "gifted savants” who were “too young and irresponsible” to be Champions. As such, the abandonment of the Champion title was actually well-forgiven in the general public. At the same time though, there were few nationalistic, elderly Kantionians who spat on his name for running away from his duty.

Among the communities of PokéNerds and children obsessed with pokémon battling in Pallet Town, he was often ranked on the lower end among regional Champions around the world due to the lack of battling data from recent years. Champions like Dawn Hikari or Brendan Yuki, both of whom have had the powers of literal gods at their side, were touted as the strongest trainers in the world. In the respect that current popular Champions had washed away a large portion of the world’s former obsession with Red, Professor Oak was spot on.

When he wasn’t with his mother, he and his pokémon were training diligently in an isolated spot in the woods west from Pallet Town. While training, Red immediately fell in love with the National Dex. There was so much information compiled into the sleek device-- information on a certain pokémon species’ behaviors, moves, common strategies revolving around that pokémon’s strengths and weaknesses, everything that Red could hope for. 

There was even one night when he was so caught up in reading entries on the Pokédex while devising strategies for using and defeating Mega Evolved pokémon that he had forgotten to go home. Upon realizing that, he almost had Charizard break the sound barrier to get home, eventually bursting through the front door of his house while gasping for air. 

But his mother knew what he was up to beforehand and this wasn’t too worried about his whereabouts. He promptly passed out for an hour afterwards as soon as his excitement and panic died down.

Life was, to simply put, back to normal.

But not for long.

Two days before his deadline with Professor Oak, Red finally decided to open the envelope containing the not-so-confidential information from Hoenn. Red pulled out a typed report and read it to himself.

**Project Name: Anemoi**

**Project Manager: Bart Taylor, Lead Scientist at the Hoenn Weather Institute**

**Sponsors: Devon Corp., Silph Co.,The Hoenn League Sector of Defense, and The Kanto League Sector of Defense**

**Subject: #351 AKA “Dusty”**

**Project Summary:**

**Castform are informally known as the “weather pokémon.” All up to date information in the Pokédex regarding castform shows that due to its Forecast ability, castform can change its form in sunny, rainy, and hailing conditions. However, it is also widely known that castform are unable to utilize Forecast in sandstorms, thereby limiting its potential in all weather-based combat. That was the extent of the original castform first created in the Hoenn Weather Institute six years ago. To upgrade castform’s abilities, genes from the Alolan Pokémon palossand were spliced into castform's genome. As a result, we have bred the first castform to be able to transform in sandstorms. As a result, the subject has been named “Dusty.”**

**Dusty’s ability to transform in sandstorms is not its only special ability. In collaboration with the Mossdeep Space Center, blood samples, presumably from the legendary pokémon Rayquaza, were taken from Champion Brendan Yuki’s spacesuit after his battle with the alien pokémon and incorporated into castform’s genome. The first infant castforms were unable to survive after birth due to the impossibly low odds of survival from the incorporation of the gene of a legendary pokémon’s ability. Dusty, being the only survivor, is the result of a near impossible success rate, being able to not only successfully transform in sandstorms, but also to reset the weather like a Cloud Nine golduck and mitigate super effective moves used against it, depending on the weather conditions that it is in. Should Dusty be properly trained and further bred successfully, it should prove heavily beneficial to all of Project Anemoi’s sponsors, be it share values or military might. In addition, successful breeding of Dusty will forever redefine castform as a species.**

**Unfortunately, Dusty has proved to be difficult to tame, even with the assistance of Hoenn League Ace Trainers. At least another six months and other resources will need to be allocated into taming Dusty before the project can be declared a success. More funding will be requested at the start of next month.**

Red felt anger boil within him as he read through the report and shuffled through the photos attached. He could see the poor castform’s desperation and fear in its eyes, a soul that merely wanted to be free, just like him. Why would the Professor want him to help power-hungry bastards enslave a helpless pokémon? This project reminded him exactly of Mewtwo, who was created specifically for power and just because science allowed it to exist. Being an experimental subject was a horrible way to live.

 _Mewtwo…_ Just the mere thought of that name brought back unpleasant memories...

Red took several deep breaths to calm himself down. No, it was because this project was reminiscent of Mewtwo that the Professor gave the envelope to him. Red finally understood the Professor’s hidden message. The Professor wanted him to sabotage the project and rescue Dusty. 

There was no time to waste. Red dashed to the lab with his shoes untied, the envelope crushed in one of his hands, and a mind swarming with questions.

Red was not going to mess up this time with Dusty. Not like he did with Mewtwo.

When Red burst into Oak’s office, Professor Oak looked up from the stack of paperwork on his desk and smiled devilishly. 

“Have you decided to ‘help’ the researchers of Project Anemoi?” he asked coyly.

Red snorted and scoffed. Of course he was going to “help.”

“Very well, I shall contact Professor Birch in Hoenn immediately. Though you should know that there is someone else who will be participating in this mission as well. You’ll meet him when you arrive at Hoenn. I must say, he’s quite the interesting young lad. Meanwhile, just let your mother know where you’re going and prepare your bag and pokémon for your trip to Hoenn. I’ll handle the rest.”

Red tilted his head curiously. He didn’t need anyone’s help, though. It was a break-in and rescue. He’d done that plenty of times with Team Rocket. Professor Oak chuckled at Red’s reaction. And besides, why send a Kanto trainer to Hoenn when there were Hoennian trainers on the case?

“Trust me, your partner won’t hold you back,” Professor Oak answered patiently. “Given that our enemy this time involves two regional governments and two of the largest companies in the world, this mission is far riskier than merely breaking into a criminal compound. There are major political and social consequences at stake this time. Since the Kanto League and a Kanto-based company have their hands in this project, you can say I’m sending you as my “research representative,” while giving you the opportunity to explore the Hoenn region a bit. Two pidgeys with one stone, no? Professor Birch currently has all of the details planned out, and he will debrief you when you arrive. I would like to patch you through to him, but I'm afraid both League governments would most likely be tapping our calls.”

Red sighed in frustration. Although he hated working with others, the Professor was right. His enemies and situation were different this time, so he would need a different approach in regard to macroscopic strategies. After a few moments of internal debate, Red nodded reluctantly. He already had a rather solid guess of who his partner would be. If it were that person, he wouldn’t mind working with him.

 _In the chance that he holds me back, I'm taking the case in my own hands._ Red typed out on his Pokédex.

"I suppose that's fair. I'll have to let Birch know by pokémail."

Speaking of tapping phone calls, Red realized the risk that both Professors were taking and pointed at Professor Oak worryingly. 

“Me? Don’t worry about me. Even if we were suspected, which we would most likely not, both Birch and I are well established within the scientific community. So even if the Leagues or the Big Two companies should cut our fundings, which they won’t due to our value as published scientists, we would be well off doing research for other parties, anyway.”

Red sighed in relief. The Professor smiled gently before continuing to speak.

"I’ve booked your boat to Hoenn already, the SS Mary. She departs from Vermillion City in three days. Get yourself ready by then."

Red nodded firmly, and Professor Oak returned to his paperwork. With that, Red exited the lab and made a quick mental checost of the items he had to restock on. On the way back home, he found a clearing where he unleashed his team to inform them of his plans. Espeon immediately established the psychic link between her trainer and teammates.

_Alright everyone, I know this is sudden considering we just got back home, but we will be heading to a new region called Hoenn in three days. Our main mission is to rescue this little guy. He’s being tortured through gruesome experiments._

Red spread Dusty's pictures on the ground, letting all of his teammates take a good look at the castform.

All of them looked furious, but Espeon expressed her anger the most through a feral growl. She also had terrible experiences with being experimented on as well when she was just an eevee. Red could only stroke her fur gently to calm her down. Espeon’s growl soon melted into a mewl as Red scratched her favorite spot behind her ears.

_I assume we’re all on board?_

Six firm, unanimous nods. They would follow their trainer to their deaths if he needed them to.

_Alright. Let’s do this._

…

“Oh, of course, honey, go save the poor little thing,” his mother said sadly when Red showed her the photos of Dusty (after all, his mother was one of the few people he could trust to show confidential documents to). “But please stay safe. Though you may be one of the strongest trainers in the world, remember that you are not invincible. Don’t be afraid to rely on others for once, alright?”

Red hugged his mother for reassurance. He had taken on enemies far larger than himself this before, and he would do it again and again. As many times as needed.

That night, Red prepared his bag for his journey, stockpiling on full restores, berries, revives, and extra clothing that he splurged on at the market with the wads of cash in his backpack. For the next few days, he would continue to train his pokémon and spend some more time with his mother.

...

On the morning of his departure, Red left from Pallet Town after a tearful goodbye to his mother and the Professor and arrived at Vermillion City. Having located the SS Mary after asking several dock workers, Red handed his luggage to a ship porter and had his ticket stamped. Before boarding, however, he did stop by the truck on the port to reminisce about the time when he had found Mew there after a month-long search. 

The little shit was undoubtedly the hardest pokémon he had ever had to catch. He remembered feeling a bit conflicted when he ultimately decided to release all of his legendaries he had caught once their Pokédex entries were registered. It was like finding a big nugget after a day of mining and reburying it.

 _Where is Mew now?_ Red wondered to himself before climbing aboard, unaware of a small pink cat giggling to itself as it twirled in the air of where he had just stood.

...

After two painstakingly long days at sea, Red arrived at Slateport City in the morning. Slateport City was a bustling hotspot for Hoennians and tourists alike, as it was one of the two more popular Hoennian coastal cities. 

Red had read up on the Hoenn region during his trip, and had found Hoenn quite fascinating. Hoennians valued their relationships, be it between trainer and pokémon or between humans. Unlike Kanto, Hoenn had its traditions and legends surrounding the Weather Trio, therefore making Hoenn a more culturally-rich tourist spot and somewhat more religious than Kanto in general. Still, technologically speaking, Hoenn was on par with Kanto, as the infamous Devon Corporation was a Hoenn-based company and Mossdeep City boasted a space center.

Geographically speaking, Hoenn was near the equator, thus it was warmer than Kanto in general. Hoenn could actually sustain berry plants in its soil, as its soil wasn’t completely volcanic like that of Kanto. Hoenn also had a variety of climates across its lands and seas, including a tropical rainforest, deserts, and a volcano. But what interested Red the most about Hoenn was its emphasis on sea exploration. Sea exploration was a large part of many Hoennian trainers' journeys across the region, with Sootopolis City being an enclosed place where one could only access through flight or deep sea diving. The latter activity was one Red was looking forward to trying. Strangely enough, he had heard some pretentious tourists on board complaining about Hoenn “having too much water.” 

_Why the fuck are they even on board then?_ Red thought curiously to himself.

Regarding Hoennian politics, Wallace Mikuri was the current Champion, having been nominated by the Hoenn League three years ago after the former Champion Steven Stone had stepped down in order to help take over his father’s position in Devon Corp. and to focus on his own personal interests. The true Hoenn Champion, however, was of course none other than Brendan Yuki, who had bested both Wallace and Steven in battle. But just like Red, Brendan refused to take on the responsibilities of being the Champion. 

At that very moment, Red swore he could hear Blue's snarky voice in his mind. _Heh, but unlike Reddy-boy, Brendan at the very least resigned formally._

_Shut up, inner Blue._

Out of curiosity, Red decided to take a look at the young prodigy’s team data. Known pokémon included: Emerald the sceptile, Opal the claydol, Sapphire the wailord, Ruby the magcargo, Topaz the raichu, Beryl the breloom, Quartz the swellow, and Amethyst the exploud.

 _Interesting,_ Red thought to himself, _very interesting._

When Red stepped off the SS Mary, Professor Oak had told him that the person who was to be his partner was “waiting by the lighthouse,” which Red immediately saw and set off for.

As Red made his way through the bustling streets, he couldn't help but listen to the blend of different languages and watch screaming children running down the street playing games with smaller pokémon. The aroma of mouth-watering food being cooked on grills and stoves wafted from the westside marketplace of Slateport. The environment here brought Red back nostalgic memories of his first time arriving at Vermillion City, which also happened to be his first exposure to an international setting.

Though the lighthouse seemed like a popular tourist attraction, there strangely was hardly anyone around except a hulking, muscular boy with bleached white hair leaning his bicycle. Red immediately sensed the psychic energy that hung heavily in the air. The place was warded to keep wandering pedestrians away. The white-haired boy noticed Red approaching and waved excitedly at him.

Red immediately recognized the boy’s face. It was one that appeared often when he was browsing through the National Dex. 

Champion Brendan Yuki. 

So that was who his partner was going to be. Red wasn’t too surprised. He already suspected he was going to be working with Brendan.

As Red walked closer, he noticed something that he hadn't seen in photographs. _That’s not his hair, that's a damn hat!_

Oblivious to Red's startled face, Brendan flashed him a big, welcoming smile.

“What’s up, Red? I’m Brendan. Hope you had a nice trip!” 

"..."

"Oh right, Birch did say you're not much of a talker. That's cool, though. You’re like the epitome of ‘strong and silent.’"

Red hastily pulled out his Pokedex from his pocket and typed out what he wanted to say.

_You're my partner? Let's get to Birch's then._

Brendan looked at the ground sheepishly.

“W-well, you see…” the Hoennian Champion said weakly, “I’m not your partner.”

Red couldn’t help but look confused. He was almost certain that he would be working with Brendan.

A thin, pale boy around their age walked out from behind Brendan’s hulking figure. Seeing the new face appear was almost comical, as he and Brendan were complete opposites in appearance. Brendan was physically fit and wore colorful, skin-tight athletic clothing, while the other boy looked frail and wore loose, dull clothes that hung loosely on his thin frame.

“He is,” Brendan finished.

The thin boy waved his hand awkwardly at Red.

“Hi, um, I’m Wally. I’m going to be your partner for this mission.”

Red had to take a few moments to register Wally’s words. He blinked twice. 

Double shock!

...

After the revelations that Brendan was really a brunette and wasn’t his mission partner, Red recovered somewhat before eventually typing out his questions on his Pokédex. Brendan answered them patiently.

“I’m here to welcome you to Hoenn and introduce you to Wally,” Brendan explained. “It just happened that I have a contest three days from now here in Slateport. Besides, everything about me is conspicuous. People know my face and pokémon like the back of their hand because we’re on TV and on magazines all the time. So that’s why I had Opal put up the psychic wards just now. I’ll still help you whenever and wherever I can. On the other hand, Wally keeps it more on the down low, which is perfect for direct involvement with this job.”

Wally grinned, although for a brief moment his expression looked pained. Brendan didn't notice Wally’s expression, so Red decided to not to pry. He had just met these two a few minutes ago, after all. 

An awkward silence dawned upon the three of them, but Brendan, having established himself as the social butterfly of the three, quickly saved the mood by sniffing the air.

“I don’t know about you two, but it’s almost lunchtime and I’m dying to have some of Slateport’s stall foods,” Brendan beamed. “Red, I’ll give you a week to not fall in love with Hoenn. The food, the beauty, and the pokémon, you’ve got a tough challenge ahead of you.”

Red put his hands up in surrender. He had already lost the challenge on the way here.

...

Brendan Yuki from Littleroot Town. He and Red started their journeys at around the same time, though he was a year older than Red. Brendan was close to the region’s leading scientist, Professor Birch, his mother was a retired coordinator, and his father, Norman Yuki, was the Petalburg City Gym Leader. Given Brendan’s promising background, it was no surprise what he had achieved during his career: Hoenn Champion, Master Coordinator, Conqueror of the Battle Frontier, Tamer of the Weather Trio, one of the Three Hoenn Bachelor Princes.

But the same Brendan Yuki who had so much speaking for him was now desperately stuffing his face with the food that the three boys ordered together from the Slateport food stalls after their introductions. It was as if Brendan hadn’t eaten in a month. 

“Hey guys, “ Brendan piped up, “do you think three octillery tentacles can fit in my mouth?”

Red stared owlishly at Brendan. _Is this guy fucking insane?_

Wally flashed Brendan a rather unexpected smirk.

“Come on, Brendan, I know you can _easily_ do five.”

“Bet.”

Red could only gaze in amazement and absolute disgust as Brendan progressively stuffed his mouth with one tentacle after the other. 

_The madlad actually managed to do it; the limitations of mankind have been broken._

“Ah di’ i’!” Brendan cried happily before chomping the meat into pieces and swallowing hard.

Did this guy really fly up into space on the god of the skies? Red was in serious doubt as he continued to watch Brendan devour his meal. On the other hand, Wally calmly nibbled on a jam-filled bread, while staring thoughtfully at the ocean, as if Brendan’s eating behavior were somehow completely normal.

All of the three boys’ pokémon were all out, enjoying their individually-catered pokéblocks. Thankfully Brendan had his claydol, Opal, maintain the psychic wards around its trainer, thus keeping the three trainers, more importantly Brendan’s eating habits, hidden from the public eye.

“Man zis cwap tastes sho good but it’s alsho sho bad fo you,” Brendan said, his words filtered through chunks of deep fried kingler and shellder meat. Brendan swallowed a gigantic mass of food before continuing to speak. “Ugh, I’m going to have to burn all of this off later at Dewford Gym.”

Red rolled his eyes and took a bite out of his fried kingler sandwich. Brendan was right though, the food here was _delicious_. 

However, Brendan's off-handed mention of "gym" did gnaw at Red's inner conscience. He should probably be taking better care of his body, especially what he had put himself through on Mt. Silver. Red snuck a peek at Brendan's muscular physique… Perhaps he would ask Brendan for workout tips after saving Dusty.

After the boys were done cleaning up after themselves and their pokémon, Brendan offered to give Red a tour of the city, to which Red happily agreed, alongside Pikachu, who had climbed onto Red’s shoulder. Wally, being a Hoennian native, was going to do a little training near Route 110.

“You won’t get a chance to enjoy Hoenn like this in the upcoming weeks,” Wally said. “So relax and enjoy your time here, Red. I’ll see you soon at the lighthouse. Very soon, if Brendan is going to do what I know he usually does.”

Wally gave Brendan a deadpan stare as Brendan looked away, feigning innocence. 

_Mew’s tits._ What did Red get himself into?

When Wally took off to the north side, Brendan clapped his hands enthusiastically.

“Alright! Where shall we begin? Ah! The Oceanic Museum!”

Brendan seized Red by the arm as if he were a mere doll and made an athletic maritime-themed building with Red almost flapping behind him like a ragdoll, clutching Pikachu in his arms. Red could faintly make out Wally waving at him in the far distance.

“Pika piiiiiiiiiii!” Pikachu cried out.

This was going to be _quite_ the tour.

...

Red had heard of people speedrunning video games in a half-an-hour that would have taken him days to complete. He now knew the feeling of completing a speedrun. Extreme mental stress during the run, relief or despair at the end. In Red’s case, it was a mix of both as he tried not to vomit into a nearby trash can at the lighthouse.

Brendan had rushed through the museum and zoomed by the docks, contest hall, fan club, and the stalls all within an impressive hour. An hour of scenic blurs, trivia, and nonsensical blabbering crammed into Red’s mind. Pikachu was promptly returned to his pokeball when Red realized Brendan was actually going to speedrun the tour after the second stop.

The sun began its inevitable retirement for the day, painting the late afternoon sky with warm shades of orange and gold. Red decided that it was time to head to Littleroot Town. He had picked up a map of Hoenn when he got off the SS Mary, so he could navigate his way there.

Wally was seemingly waiting for them by the lighthouse, fiddling with his Pokedex, most likely researching pokémon and devising battle tactics.

But before Red could summon Charizard, Brendan stopped Red from doing so and took out a flute from his backpack. 

After playing a merry tune, two figures suddenly appeared on the horizon and began speeding towards the boys. Red looked at Brendan suspiciously, but the former Hoenn Champion just smiled reassuringly. The two jet-shaped pokémon, one blue and the other red, immediately stopped in front of Brendan when they arrived, hovering over the ground and cooing in delightful affection when Brendan stroked their long necks.

These, without a doubt, had to be legendary pokémon, Red thought to himself.

“Red, meet Latios and Latias; Latios and Latias, meet Red,” Brendan said proudly. “These two are both my best friends and the fastest way to get around the region, assuming you’ve got a Key Stone.”

Red nodded and showed off his bracelet with his Key Stone embedded in it.

“Excellent,” Brendan said as he climbed onto Latios. “You and Wally will take Latias, then. Both of these guys have their Mega Stones on them, so just activate them when you’re in the air.”

The two former Champions took off and their rides transformed into their Mega Evolutions after a bright light engulfed them. Red felt his stomach lurch as soon as he saw the twin pokémon evolve into literal jets. He had just eaten lunch a few minutes ago, too.

"Race ya there! WOOHOOOOOOO!" Brendan shrieked as Latios zoomed ahead.

Latias, who certainly didn't want to lose to her twin, looked back at Red and giggled before zooming ahead after Latios. Red felt himself clinging onto Latias for dear life while keeping his digested lunch from escaping his stomach once more. He could feel Wally’s arms wrapped around his torso tightly, also clinging on for dear life. Unfortunately, Red couldn’t enjoy Hoenn’s diverse ecological scenery that he had read about, as it was all just colorful streaks once again.

_Damned jocks..._

...

Brendan couldn't have understated the "fastest" part. And Wally couldn’t have understated “very soon” when it came to traveling with Brendan. Red could feel his face stinging from the wind burns when they finally arrived at Littleroot within less than an hour. There was still an hour or two of sunlight left.

Brendan thanked and dismissed the twin pokémon before leading Red and Wally to Professor Birch's lab. Thus, the three boys entered the lab together. While it was smaller and less technologically advanced than Oak's, Professor Birch did his best to be as tidy as possible, which made the place less claustrophobic for Red.

While his lab was rather tidy, Birch's appearance was another story. Professor Birch was a large man with noticeable stubble, unshaved sideburns, and mismatched clothing underneath his lab coat. Still, his appearance couldn't hide the fact that he was a warm, caring person, as he greeted the two boys with a jovial laugh and offered them Lava Cookies.

"Hello, Brendan, Wally, and Red!" Professor Birch beamed. "I hope you all are doing well! Especially you, Red, I know you just finished a two day journey at sea."

Birch took a careful look at Red’s expression.

“Aaaand a _brief_ tour, I must say.”

"..."

Professor Birch and Brendan began to chortle loudly while Wally couldn't stop himself from lightly chuckling along with the contagious laughter.

Red started awkwardly at the three men. _Damn Hoennians, don’t you guys value relationships?_

After the laughter died down, Birch spoke again, still trying to suppress his laughter.

"Ah, right. Samuel did say you were a silent one. Well, I'm Professor August Birch, one of the leading scientists of the Hoenn region. I guess we should get to business, huh? Wally's been caught up with pretty much everything, but of course it's better for you two to get along and be informed together."

Red nodded solemnly. Professor Birch pulled out a map of Hoenn from his desk drawer and spread fully on an empty wooden table nearby.

"So before we start, Red, you may be wondering why exactly you and Wally are working together on this case, but not Brendan."

Red did find it strange, but he hadn't stopped to ponder about the situation as a whole. From what he could guess, it had something to do with the fact that both the Kanto and Hoenn League governments had a hand in this project. And from what he was told earlier, Brendan's pokémon would be easily recognized. Red typed out his thoughts on his Pokedex.

Professor Birch and Wally nodded in agreement.

"Yeah that's the gist of it," Professor Birch said. "Because we are opposing two allied regional League governments, should there have been only one of you and you were caught, you would metaphorically be burnt at the stake for treason. After all, the media are easily manipulated and given that it's just a single person, the Leagues could easily fabricate a story of mental instability.

But the infamous missing Kanto Champion and a rival to the strongest Hoenn Champion? Both of whom seem to have no hand in the situation? It would be almost impossible to explain without looking suspicious yourself. If you two happened to be caught, which I believe highly unlikely, you could utilize your statuses to easily influence the public, and from there, leak the organizations' unethical practices to them. Assuming people are empathetic, it would force the League to provide evidence that they are innocent, but at that point I'm sure several scientists would have spoken out with my and Oak's current efforts. Eventually the League will have to let you go, discontinue unethical research projects like Anemoi, and pass legislation regarding research ethics for future generations to follow. In the worst possible scenario, should the Leagues try to detain and silence you, I will have body cameras attached to your clothing that will transmit video evidence to my computer."

Brendan decided to chime in.

"The reason why I had Wally take part is because I trust him both as a trainer and a friend. Though I know I am somewhat responsible for Dusty's pain, thanks to the Rayquaza DNA samples I unknowingly gave to the League, jeopardizing my relationship with the League and Devon Corporation would severely affect those I deeply care about, like my family, whose livelihood depends on the League. 

My involvement would cause an uproar among the public, though I am essentially the one who will be convincing the media of your whereabouts and heroism. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m dumping my responsibilities onto you two. It’s just— I can’t take the risk of being directly involved in the break-in… I’m standing by my word to support you two from the sidelines, though.”

_So even the Champion Brendan Yuki has his own weaknesses._

An awkward silence fell upon the room. Strangely enough, Wally was the one to break it.

“So, um, shouldn’t we get to the break-in plan?”

"Very efficient," Birch complimented Wally. "Alrighty then, let's move onto the break-in plan… as for that… there’s a lot of preparation involved."

…

After their break-in had been detailed out, Red, Wally, and Brendan took a stroll across Littleroot Town together. Red took no time at all to adapt to his new environment since Littleroot almost exactly like Pallet Town-- a quiet little town completely surrounded by forest and nature. While Brendan was going on about facts about Hoenn that Red swore was just a recitation from the Hoenn travel guide, Red watched Hoennian native pokémon in their natural habitat in amazement. Wild taillows swooped down to snatch up unfortunate wurmples inching along in the grass, and young zigzagoons chased each other in some sort of hunting game. It was simultaneously a familiar and completely foreign scene.

When they went inside Brendan's house, Red introduced himself to Brendan's mother (with Brendan’s generous help) and had a chance to settle down. About half an hour later though, Brendan declared that they should "get to know each other better" as they were "brothers in arms." Red didn't have the chance or energy to protest as the physically stronger Brendan dragged him and Wally outside with ease. 

"First things first, since this is your first time here in Hoenn, you have to go through Route 101, Oldale Town and Route 103. You'll definitely catch a few Hoenn pokémon along the way."

From an outsider’s perspective, it was rather pathetic to see an experienced trainer and his monstrous pikachu terrorize the little forest creatures clearly meant for starting trainers to battle and catch. But Red couldn’t care less about how he looked. After an hour of praying that Pikachu wouldn’t fry the creatures to death on accident, he had caught a taillow, a wingull, a pelipper, a poochyena, and two wurmples. He would take his chances on the silcoon or cascoon gamble.

As the three boys were walking back to Littleroot, Brendan was cracking a joke about the complete idiocy of Team Aqua and Magma’s plans, when all three boys felt a chilling presence near the mouth of the entrance to Route 103. Brendan and Wally stopped walking immediately, causing Red to stumble and almost fall onto a pile of poochyena dung.

“Yeahhhh, I should’ve warned you about that,” Brendan said nervously. “S-sorry.”

But despite almost having his face iced brown, Red was concerned about what lay ahead. Brendan, the boy who had tamed the Dragon God, looked positively terrified. 

“Hello, Brendan! Nice to see you again!” A girl’s voice, simultaneously sweet and chilling, rang throughout the forest. Red looked at Brendan. Was the friend he just met today going to die already?

Brendan swallowed hard, before walking forward and chuckling nervously.

“H-hey there, May! How are you doing? Long time no see, huh?”

A pretty girl with chestnut hair, wearing a red headband tied into bunny ears, stepped out into the forest clearing wearing a beautiful, yet chilling smile.

May Birch, daughter of Professor Birch and one of Hoenn’s Master Coordinators and top trainers. She was supposedly close with Brendan, but Red hadn’t expected her to be _that_ close. She certainly did not look pleased at all. Apparently, “long time no see” was the absolutely worst greeting Brendan could use.

“Long time no see?!” May roared.“Where the fuck have you been, Brendan?!”

Red decided to sit back, eat some imaginary popcorn, and enjoy the show with Wally, who was already blankly staring at the scene.

...

“Oh Brendan, dear, what happened to your face?” Brendan’s mother asked worryingly when it was time for dinner.

“I’m sure you know already, Mom,” Brendan replied as clearly as he could with an ice pack pressed into the left side of his face. “My PokéNav was out of commission the past week.”

She shook her head sadly. “I hope you learned your lesson this time. Don’t ever ignore your girlfriend like that for an entire week because you were busy helping Wally and Professor Birch prepare for a mission.”

“Mom, she’s just a close friend who was worried for me, that’s all,” Brendan whined. “I told her that I was going to be busy for the next week, but once everything’s over, I would go to Mauville City with her.”

Red and Wally couldn’t help but smack their foreheads onto the dinner table. Even _Red_ wasn’t that dense. And he had been on a damn mountain for the past four years!

“Hmmm. What about that Littlenoid Meteor Shower date all those years ago? How about the time you two competed in the couples special contest? Even Lisia admitted you two looked cute together! How about when you two rode on Latios and Latias to the Sootopolis together for a ‘mission?’ Brendan, to the rest of Hoenn public, you’re a ‘Bachelor Prince,’ but as your mother, I know who your heart really belongs to.”

A complete demolition. Brendan looked utterly flabbergasted and embarrassed. He had to accept the truth now. All Red could hear from his new friend for the rest of dinnertime was incoherent mumbling. The only time Brendan actually said something else was before they all went to bed, an hour before midnight.

“Good night, Red and Wally,” Brendan mumbled underneath his covers. “We’ll rescue Dusty soon enough.”

“Good night everyone,” Wally whispered.

“...” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how long it will take for me to write the new chapter, but thanks for sticking with me.


End file.
